Google has been messing around with the titles displayed in the search results forever. We’ve covered the topic here several times but it seems with with a recent Google change, Google is more likely to show a different title that what your title tag displays.

Googler, Gary Illyes, said in a Google Webmaster Help thread that often Google is able to pick a better title for the search query than what your title tag reads. He wrote:

Is Google trying to be too smart? Should Google be messing with your title tags? Many SEOs would say they shouldn’t be doing this but what Google thinks is best for the searcher is not what SEOs would always believe.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help & WebmasterWorld.